Calendar devices, particularly for clocks

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to an improved calendar device, particularly for a clock, permitting a drum bearing the indication of the months to be driven from a film bearing the dates which is itself driven by a clockwork movement, wherein it comprises a drum 1 mounted to rotate freely on a shaft 2 and having on one of its side faces holes 6 disposed so as to correspond to the months and in which there may be selectively engaged a boss 7 fixed to the end of a resilient member fast with a wheel 3, mounted to rotate freely on the same shaft as the drum, said wheel having on its periphery spikes 9 which may be selectively engaged in a perforation of the film 10.

United States Patent l l l lnventor Maurice Robin Suresnes, France Appl. No. 883,371

Filed Dec. 9, 1969 Patented June 1, 1971 Assignee Ste .Iaz S.A.

Paris, France Priority Jan. 13, 1969 France 69.00.397

CALENDAR DEVICES, PARTICULARLY FOR CLOCKS [5 6] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 405,162 7/1966 Switzerland 58/4 Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Edith C. Simmons AtrorneyStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher ABSTRACT: This invention relates to an improved calendar device, particularly for a clock, permitting a drum bearing the indication of the months to be driven from a film bearing the dates which is itself driven by a clockwork movement, wherein it comprises a drum I mounted to rotate freely on a shaft 2 and having on one of its side faces holes 6 disposed so as to correspond to the months and in which there may be selectively engaged a boss 7 fixed to the end of a resilient member fast with a wheel 3, mounted to rotate freely on the same shaft as the drum, said wheel having on its periphery spikes 9 which may be selectively engaged in a perforation of the film l0.

CALENDAR DEVICES, PARTICULARLY FOR CLOCKS The present invention relates to an I improved calendar device, particularly for a clock.

Calendar devices are known in the art in which a film, bearing the indication of the dates, which is driven by the clockwork movement, itself ensures that the drum on which are inscribed the days is driven.

The improvement according to the invention consists in the adaptation of a device of this type to enable the month to be displayed, this simply being effected by the film when it passes from the 3 1st to the 1 st.

on a portion of the film 10, which is wound on the roller 12.

On the other hand, the roller 12 comprises a housing or bore 16 extending perpendicularly to its axis, so as to present This improved device according to the invention causes no great disturbance in' the advance movement of the film and avoids any advance greater than one step of the drum bearing the indication of the months.

1 The device also comprises manual control means which enable the months to beset.

In accordance with the present invention, a drum bearing the indication of the months and mounted to rotate freely on a shaft, has on .one' of its side faces holes arranged so as to cor respond to the months and in which there may be selectively engaged a boss fixed to the end of a resilient member fast with a wheel mounted to rotate freely on the same shaft as the drum, said wheel.- having on its periphery spikes or teeth which may be selectively engaged in a perforation of the film with the dates and two of said spikes abutting on a roller rotated by the film bearing the dates, by means of a series of distinct perforations provided on said film. I i

The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved calendar device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the spiked wheel and of the roller supporting the film.

Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows the improved calendar device according to the invention, which comprises a drum 1 bearing the indication of the months and mounted to rotate. freely on a shaft 2 fixed to a frame (not shown in the drawing).

A wheel 3 and a milled head 4, which is fast in rotation with the drum, are also mounted to rotate freely on the shaft 2.

On one of its end faces 5, the drum 1 has holes 6 distributed circularly about the shaft 2 and arranged so as to correspond to the months carried on the drum 1, each hole 6 corresponding to one month.

A boss 7 fixed to one of the ends of a resilient blade 8 fixed at its other end to one of the faces of the wheel 3 arranged opposite the drum 1, may be selectively engaged in each of the holes 6.

The wheel 3 comprises on its periphery spikes or teeth 9, preferably conical in shape, distributed over the periphery at equal distance from one another. These spikes which correspond to. the months inscribed on the drum 1 are l2 in number, like the holes 6.

-A film 10 on which are inscribed the dates and which is driven in known manner by a clockwork movement, has a perforation 11 in. which one of the spikes, such as 9b, may be engaged during passage of the film over a predetermined distance, thus ensuring the rotation of the wheel 3, according to a predetermined angle.

The film 10 which moves over a roller 12 whose shaft 13 is mountedv to rotate freely on the frame, presents a series of distinct perforations 14 in which are successively engaged two diametrically opposite spikes 15a, 15b, provided on the roller 12, so as torotate the roller 12 when the film is moved.

The spikes 9a, 9b of the wheel 3 rest with a slight clearance its aperture 17 opposite the-perforation ll of the film l0 during its passage, for the engagement of the spike 9b.

The calendar device according to the invention operates in the followin manner. I

The film 0, driven by the clockwork movement, moves in the direction of arrow F, ensuring the rotation of the roller 12 by perforations 14 which are engaged in the spikes 15a, 15b.

When the perforation ll arrives opposite the spike 9b, the curve 18 imposed on the film l0 ensures the penetration of the spike 9b into the perforation 11 and its drive. This spike 9b then penetrates into the housing 16 of the roller 12 which ensures the guiding of the spike 9b until it escapes after a predetermined angular rotation of the wheel 3.

The wheel 3 which carries the resilient blade 8 whose boss 7 is engaged in one of the holes 6 is thus rendered fast in rotation with the drum 1 which is rotated angularly in a manner corresponding to the wheel 3, so that its displacement causes a new month to appear. I

The change of month is coordinated with the change-of the date from the 31st to the 1st and the position of the perforation 1 l on the filmis determined as a function of the change of date.

. Any risk of advance by more than one step is eliminated, because the spike 90 again abuts on the periphery of the roller 12. 1

During the passage of the film 10 corresponding to the dates of the month between the 1st and the 31st, the spikes 9a, 9b (FIG. 2) rest with a slight clearance on the roller 12 and thus ensure the angular positioning of the drum 1 of the months.

The advance of the film 10 is thus disturbed only to asmall degree by the presence of the wheel 3. 1

The month is set manually by rotating the milled head 4 which is fast with the drum 1, the spiked drive wheel 3 being immobilized by the roller 12 and the hole 6 escaping the boss 7 whose blade 8, by being resiliently deformed, enables the boss 7 to withdraw and to engage in the following hole 6.

lclaim:

1. An improved calendar device, particularly for a clock, in which a film bearing the dates is driven by a clockwork movement, wherein a drum bearing the indication of the months and mounted to rotate freely on a shaft presents on one of its side faces holes arranged so as to correspond to the months and in which there may be selectively engaged a boss fixed to the end of a resilient member fast with a wheel, mounted to rotate freely on the same axis as the drum, said wheel carrying at its periphery spikes which may be selectively engaged in a perforation of the film with the dates and two of the spikes abut on a roller, rotated by the film, by means of a series of distinct perforations provided on said film.

2. An improved calendar device as defined in claim 1, wherein the roller presents a housing extending perpendicularly to its axis of rotation and in which may be engaged one of the spikes of the wheel, when said spike is already engaged in the perforation provided on the film with the dates.

3. An improved calendar device as defined in claims I and 2, wherein the roller comprises two diametrically opposite spikes which are engaged in the series of separate perforations, said spikes being arranged along an axis parallel to the axis of the housing provided on said roller.

4. An improved calendar device as defined in claim 1, wherein the drum bearing the indication of the months is fast in rotation with a milled head mounted to rotate freely on the axis which is common to the drum and to the drive wheel. 

1. An improved calendar device, particularly for a clock, in which a film bearing the dates is driven by a clockwork movement, wherein a drum bearing the indication of the months and mounted to rotate freely on a shaft presents on one of its side faces holes arranged so as to correspond to the months and in which there may be selectively engaged a boss fixed to the end of a resilient member fast with a wheel, mounted to rotate freely on the same axis as the drum, said wheel carrying at its periphery spikes which may be selectively engaged in a perforation of the film with the dates and two of the spikes abut on a roller, rotated by the film, by means of a series of distinct perforations provided on said film.
 2. An improved calendar device as defined in claim 1, wherein the roller presents a housing extending perpendicularly to its axis of rotation and in which may be engaged one of the spikes of the wheel, when said spike is already engaged in the perforation provided on the film with the dates.
 3. An improved calendar device as defined in claims 1 and 2, wherein the roller comprises two diametrically opposite spikes which are engaged in the series of separate perforations, said spikes being arranged along an axis parallel to the axis of the housing provided on said roller.
 4. An improved calendar device as defined in claim 1, wherein the drum bearing the indication of the months is fast in rotation with a milled head mounted to rotate freely on the axis which is common to the drum and to the drive wheel. 